Phillips Idowu competing in the 2011 Samsung Diamond League meeting in New York (© Victah Sailer)
Phillips Idowu may have silenced the opposition and particularly his major rival Teddy Tamgho in atrocious weather at the adidas Grand Prix – Samsung Diamond League in New York yesterday (11) but knows there is still a lot of hard work to be done before the IAAF World Championships get underway in Daegu, Korea (27 August-4 September).
Idowu, the reigning World triple jump champion, naturally enjoyed the success in a competition where his arch opponent unable to adapt to the cold, wet and windy conditions, failed to make the final cut.
However, as good as the win may have been Idowu who was elevated to the top of the overall Triple Jump Diamond Race standings knows he still himself has a lot of improvements to make before the action starts in South Korea.
Idowu awarded a prestigious MBE along with fellow British World champion multi-eventer Jessica Ennis in the Queen's birthday honours list on Saturday (11), feels he will reap the rewards of a hard winter's training.
The 32-year-old and his coach Aston Moore both felt this was more important than competing at the European Indoor Championships where Frenchman Tamgho spectacularly triumphed on home soil producing World indoor records of 17.92 metres.
Idowu said: "We were working on a few technical bits so I missed the indoors this season. What we've been trying to do is improve my speed and my training is going well. I've felt an improvement technically and I'm happy things are coming together."
Idowu has already enjoyed the benefits of those demanding sessions at his Birmingham base and is delighted with his season's outdoor start where he has kept a clean sheet at the Rome Samsung Diamond League on 26 May where he jumped what was then a world lead of 17.59m, then in Bydgoszcz a week later and now again at the weather spoilt meet at the Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island.
"Last season I opened with (17) 47 in Brazil but I have jumped very much the same," he said of his new campaign. "The previous year I jumped (17) 60 and the year before that I opened up with 17.65. So anything between 17.50 and 17.60 is roughly what I start my season with."
Idowu happy with his progress was nevertheless not surprised when Tamgho replaced him as world leader with a jump of 17.67 on home soil in Montreuil -sous-Bois last Monday (6).
"No not at all," he said of the Frenchman's victory. "I managed to watch Teddy jump in Stockholm (indoors) this year - I was at a training camp so I had nothing to do. I expected Teddy to jump roughly about that far, it's not a suprise that he's capable (already) of jumping in the 60s.”
But he insisted: "Distance is not important to me as long as I'm coming out with a victory and my focus is the World Championships, so whatever people do now won't make a difference by the time we're jumping in the finals in Daegu."
Despite the Anglo-French rivalry in all sports, Idowu admits having a good relationship with his opponent from the other side of the English Channel, who’ll be his biggest threat for any major titles in the next few years.
"The French are quite emotional aren't they," he said with a grin and smile about the rivalry. "No, I get on really well with Teddy. We're quite cool. I sent him a message after he jumped and won in Doha (the first meeting of the 2011 Samsung Diamond League) to say well done and he sent me a message after my first competition also saying well done."
But Idowu despite the awesome natural ability of his 21-year-old opponent sees a much wider picture of other competent stars who will also be big challengers for the gold medal in Daegu.
Idowu focusing on Sweden's former World, Olympic and European champion Christian Olsson, said: "I would never write him off. He's won everything so he's got the experience. He's definitely got the calibre to keep jumping well - he's always going to be a threat. But there's so many other good athletes competing."
The east Londoner who was born close to the newly constructed 2012 Olympic stadium is adamant that everything he does in the next couple of months will be geared to winning another World title and then winning at the London Games.
"I'm already building up to 2012, everything I do now is working towards that," Idowu stressed. "We do have a little stop of in Daegu but ultimately the goal in the next 14 months is totally focused on London."
With picture boards adorning the streets of the English capital of himself and Ennis another serious gold medal candidate and the expectations placed on both of them by host nation fans, he joked: "I live in Birmingham so I haven't seen them."
He insisted, "it's different but I stay away from it. But it is a big deal for the UK. I've got short term goals and long term goals and I now I am focusing on and trying to work towards that.”
"I've got a lot of improving to do before that Olympic final. I don't want to get overwhelmed with the whole Olympics because by the time it comes around I could find myself distracted."
Idowu expected to be present at the pre-British Olympic holding camp laughingly, added: "I would be quite happy to stay in my mum's house or sister's house to be quite honest and just get a bicycle into the arena.
"It's not too far at all, the other side of the A13. No the key for my success is to stay relaxed and as comfortable as possible.”
"And you know I love my family, I love my kids they're the people who keep me down to earth and keep me mentally relaxed. So if I can stay around ‘them kind of people’ it just takes the pressure off having to go and compete in one of the biggest events in my life.”
Idowu who has also has European and Commonwealth gold medals amongst his collection, added, "We’re over a year out from the Olympic Games and I have won the World title before."
"I pretty much have much won everything, so for me now I know I'm a championship performer. I know once I get into the final regardless of what's happened beforehand, I believe I have that ability to win."
Dave Martin for the Samsung Diamond League
